A strong middle of 2014 including 2nd in the omnium at the
Japan Cup and top 5 finishes at the Adelaide Cycling Grand
Prix South Australian Track Classic saw Tirian McManus on
track for a strong 2014/15 season. Gold in the team pursuit
and silver in the points race at the Oceania Championships in
October got the former Junior World Champion off to a good
start.

McManus' results saw him selected for the opening World Cup of
the season in Guadalajara, only for a crash in the opening
round Bowden Elite Team Series saw those plans change. Nine
weeks off the bike but a determined McManus bounced back to
have one of his best campaigns to date.

A third World Cup gold medal at the final World Cup of 2014/15
in the team pursuit was evidence of McManus's form ahead of
the Australian National Championships.

The opening day saw McManus qualify fastest in the individual
pursuit with a personal best of 4mins 23.405secs. Despite a
strong ride in the final McManus had to settle for silver
behind Alex Morgan. McManus added bronze in the team pursuit
before narrowly missing another medal finishing fourth in the
scratch race.

Below McManus talks his 2014/15 season, development in the
elite ranks and his eyes on next track season.

PelotonWatch: It was a disrupted start to the 2014/15
season for you with a wrist injury just before the Guadalajara
World Cup. How long did the recovery take?

Tirian McManus: It was a very disrupted start
to the 2014/15 track season for me and really couldn't kick
off in a worse way after such a hard preparation for the
season. After breaking my wrist in that crash before the
Guadalajara World Cup I was forced to have nine weeks off the
bike. I used this time to really focus with my strength and
conditioning Coach David Young at NSWIS to hit the gym and
tried to get a bit stronger. David did a fantastic job in
adapting my program and getting me race ready again without
the ability to even ride my bike. Without him I wouldn't be in
the form I had at Cali and Nationals.

PW: Selected for the final World Cup in Cali.
What did it mean to be able to pull on the green and gold
again?

TM: To be selected for this World Cup was
huge for me. I was a little worried heading into camp that I
didn't have the form or endurance to be able to Team Pursuit
up to par with the other guys, but that quickly went away
after the first training session. For me there is no bigger
honour than to be able to ride in the Australian colours of
the green and gold. The chance to be linked to every other
Australian ever to represent their country is as big as it
gets in my eyes.

PW: Gold in the team pursuit happy with the
ride?

TM: The Gold medal result in Cali was a
result of three rides where we rode really well as a team and
rode as one when we really needed it. The track in Cali is the
most difficult track to ride a team pursuit on in the world.
The difficulties of the wind to the bumps, you have to be
switched on all the time. Our Gold medal result really
represents our ability to work as a unit, dedication and
ability to dig deep.

PW: Fastest qualifier at the National
Championships in the individual pursuit with a PB. How much of
an improvement was it?

TM: My result in the individual pursuit at
the National Championships was of a bit of a shock to myself.
I came into the day feeling very good, as a couple of days out
after a hit out at the track I told my coach Brad McGee that I
was onto something good, my legs just felt perfect. My
schedule for the individual pursuit was actually to go out on
a 4mins 27secs but I got out on the track and started quick
and didn't want to slow down. My time of a 4mins 23secs is a
five second PB which for me is huge!

PW: Is the IP something you have been working
on improving?

TM: To be honest with you it isn't at all. I
have been really focusing on just my team pursuit work with
the focus on speed for the delivery of the rider behind me.
Apart from the basic behind the motorbike pacing work the
individual pursuit has not really been on the cards.

As I didn't have the ability to back up for the finals after
qualifying at first I was quite disappointed with myself,
after thinking about Cali and the effort I have been though
before the finals I was quite happy with the result. I have
always wanted to do well in the individual pursuit and I will
have a focus on it this year and see what I can produce next
year.

PW: There is such depth in men's endurance
cycling with 14 riders participating across the 3 World Cup
rounds. Is it hard continuing to produce strong results and
win medals internationally but not quite make a World
Championships team?

TM: Australian track endurance is in the best
place it has been for a long time, Australia has won just
about every Team Pursuit since the London Olympics and this
reflects the AIS Men's Track Endurance Program. The riders in
the World Championships team are the best team pursuit riders
in the world as they are 100% spot on with their technique,
power and endurance every time. I have had the opportunity to
ride with these guys and learn from them lately and I know
exactly where I need to be and what I need to improve on to be
able to earn my spot in that team.

PW: Happy with how you are developing in the
senior ranks?

TM: My development in the senior ranks as
been a journey that's for sure, I have been flown around the
world twice and having a great time whilst doing it. The year
of 2014 was huge for my development as I consider it a huge
learning year with my World Cup wins in the omnium and team
pursuit and travelling to Europe by myself for the first time
in my life (which is a learning moment in itself). I see 2015
as a year where I know exactly what I need to do to achieve my
goals, if all goes smoothly I'm look forward to the 2015/16
Track season already.

PW: Besides the silver in the IP and bronze
in the TP what else can you take away from the National
Championships?

TM: As this was my ninth Track National
Championships throughout my career it's nothing new to me as I
have learnt to back myself and I have confidence in my
preparation. The thing I can take away from this year's
Nationals is that when you do all the little things right big
things pay off. After returning home from the long haul travel
of Cali and straight into the championships I was aware I may
not be 100% right and expected to wake up sick any day. I did
all the little things right to prepare myself from my recovery
to my staying healthy, all of it payed off as I had a very
good National Championships.

PW: What is ahead for you in the next few
months?

TM: In the next few month I have the chance
to lock in another strong strength block of training, I will
be putting in the hard hours of training in the gym and the
long hours on the road in all search of a few seconds come the
end of this year and can't wait to do it all over again. I am
more motivated than ever and cannot wait to start off the
season with my new NRS team NSWIS Subaru Development Racing
Team that will include racing some of the starting rounds of
the NRS series.